Sleeping Fili
by RMoriluvr
Summary: Fili is turned into stone by an enchanted spinning wheel while cleaning out Erebor's treasure hoard. He can only awaken with true love's kiss. Fili/OC. Post-BOFA. One-shot.


I don't own the characters except my own OC and she's a play off of a Disney character, Philip. So, this is total fluff, and is already complete.

* * *

Once upon a time, there lived a king. His name was Thorin and he was a handsome, but angst ridden dwarf. He lived in Erebor, a grand kingdom in the north, until it was attacked be a nasty dragon named Smaug.

For a very long time, Smaug lived in the Lonely Mountain instead of the dwarves. And the dwarves were forced to flee and Dale, the nearby human settlement, was left in ruins.

Thorin eventually led his people to the Blue Mountains. While he was there, his younger sister, Dis, met and fell in love with a dwarf of the Broadbeam clan. They were married, and although it took them many years, they eventually had two sons, Fili and Kili.

Fili took after his father in looks, with golden hair that shone like the sun and Kili, took after his uncle Thorin and his mother, with dark hair and eyes like a raven. The lads grew strong and caused mischief wherever they went. As time waxed on, the lads followed in their uncle's footsteps in many ways as their father had died when they were quite young. They loved their uncle, and they followed him wherever they could.

Eventually, Thorin, at the urging of a meddlesome wizard, decided to take a quest to reclaim the Arkensetone from Erebor. With the Arkenstone, they would be able to gather all the strength of the dwarves to the Longbeard clan in order to defeat Smaug.

The lads joined Thorin on their quest. It was a dangerous journey, as they were hunted by orcs and wargs at every turn, and eventually, Thorin succumbed to Gold sickness on the journey. But after a long, hard fought battle that left their company and allies weakened, they reclaimed the mountain.

* * *

Fili sighed as he oversaw the efforts to clean out the kingdom. It was his shift, which meant that while the hardy dwarves cleaned out Smaug's toilet for the last one hundred years, he had to sit still and give commands.

It was hard for Fili to think of himself as a legitimate prince. He didn't feel like one at all. And already, only three months after that last horrific battle, his uncle and mother were already talking to him about a marriage alliance between him and one of Dain's distant relatives.

Fili had refused.

Nobody was going to force him into a marriage that he didn't want. He shook his head as he continued to watch the workers as they cleared through the treasury. Gloin was taking inventory, and they had to be careful, because there had been a few enchanted items that had some nasty side effects, including one of Dain's young soldiers, who had a finger cut off when he tried opening up an old tome and another lad who was almost suffocated to death by a necklace of rubies that he had attempted to abscond.

So now, every care was being taken that whatever treasure they came across was treated cautiously. Apparently besides being a nasty lizard with fire breathing abilities, Smaug was also an enchanter, a twisted being with supernatural abilities.

To be honest, it went a little bit above Fili's head, but he did what he was told. He didn't want to lose any more dwarves to magicked items.

Before he knew it, the luncheon bells rang, and Fili called for an end to their work for the next hour. Kili and Thorin were around the mountain doing something else and his mother, as well, was most likely in Dale, helping with those relief efforts.

Fili stood up and straightened his coat and tunic. He went to follow the rest of the dwarves, along with Gloin into the great hall to have a light luncheon prepared by Bombur but stopped as he saw a flicker of light cast across the shadows of the wall in the treasury.

Fili furrowed his eyebrows, and turned around. He followed the reflection of light and saw a sliver of gold come from a dark corner of the treasury. He followed the trail of light, and began to move the gold and other jewels and treasures.

Fili never succumbed to gold sickness, in all of his years. And yet, there was something pulling him to this light. He removed an armored chest piece and looked at the item that was causing the twinkling on the walls in surprise.

Of all things to have here in a treasury, it was a spindle. A spinning wheel made of pure gold, with silver inlaid on the wheel. There was a sharp point at the tip of a silver needle. Fili smiled to himself. It was beautiful, and looked to be in decent condition. He had no doubt that Dori would enjoy it in his tailoring shop.

"Fili?" Gloin's deep voice asked, feeling slightly confused that the young crown prince had not followed him initially. The blonde prince was stooped over, looking at something fervently.

Fili didn't hear Gloin. Or if he did, he did not acknowledge the older dwarf. Instead, Fili felt his hand drawn to the wheel. He touched the wheel, and spun it, to make sure that the action still worked. He was familiar with the object, of course, seeing it in action in tailor shops. And then, he suddenly stopped the wheel, and felt a slight prick on his finger.

Blood tricked up from his index finger, and he looked down at it, slightly concerned. That concern grew more and more, as he watched his normally pale, fleshy finger tip harden and turn gray, and then suddenly, Fili seized up and felt no more.

Gloin yelled in shock as he watched Fili, in front of his own eyes, become a stone statue. Fili (or the statue) fell hard on the gold, a look of surprise on the young dwarf's now solid, immobile face.

Gloin looked at Fili grimly and then swore to himself. Why did he have to be the one to see what happened?

He called for a few dwarves to find Thorin, Kili and Lady Dis. There was going to be hell to pay.

* * *

"What happened to him?" Thorin demanded, looking at his now stone nephew in slight alarm. Dis was wailing over her son quite dramatically, while it appeared that Kili couldn't quite his smile from rising to this face. Thorin pinched his nose in agitation.

Why was it that Kili couldn't take anything seriously?

His brother was now a stone statue, and he was acting as if it was all a joke. Thorin glared at Kili, whose spine straightened considerably as did his face.

"Dis, enough of that. We'll figure this out. I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

Dis cried even harder.

"He touched the spinning wheel, and then he just turned into stone, Thorin. I don't know why." Gloin explained, feeling annoyed that he was the one that had to witness it happening.

"Order that spinning wheel to be brought up to my rooms. Nobody touch it with their bare hands. It has to be some sort of spell. It will be reversible, most likely." Thorin commanded to Gloin. Gloin nodded.

Several dwarves did as Thorin commanded and carried the now much heavier Fili up into Thorin's rooms. After a few days, it became apparent that Fili was not cognizant at all in statue form, which Thorin found he was thankful for. He shuddered at the thought of a stone statue just speaking to him randomly. However, after a thorough investigation of the spinning wheel, nobody knew exactly what had happened or how to fix Fili.

Kili was now devastated. He had thought for a while that Fili had managed to turn himself to stone on purpose for a joke.

He was sobering up immediately at the thought of now becoming the next in line to the throne. He talked to Fili's stone form constantly, so much, in fact that Dis had to give him visiting hours so he remembered that Fili was indeed not responding to them.

It was three months later that Gandalf visited them to see how the recovery of the mountain was coming. Thorin led him into his rooms, and Gandalf stopped short.

He stared at Fili and said, "Oh my."

He then pulled out his pipe, sat down, staring at Fili and proceeded to light up the smoke. Thorin joined him.

"What happened?" Gandalf asked curiously, feeling a mix of alarm and amusement at the now young dwarf lad's fate.

"It was the spinning wheel." Thorin answered, as directly as possible. He liked to be honest, dammit. What was the use in mincing words if there was nothing good to be said?

Gandalf looked at him like he was crazy. Thorin pointed him to the spinning wheel that was covered with a thick cloth. Gandalf stood up and took off the covering and said, "Hmm." as he looked over the wheel.

He muttered a few words and said, "This is old magic. Older than Smaug, I would wager."

Thorin waved his hand, and said, "So, what do we do?" He had no time for wizard nonsense. He just wanted the wizard to tell him how to fix his nephew.

"It says: The imbecile who touches this, will only awaken with true love's kiss."

Thorin laughed slightly at the rhyme. "Imbecile" was a fitting description of Fili at times.

"True love's kiss? So, I invite as many dwarrowdams as possible to the kingdom, and whichever one wakes him up can marry him?" Thorin asked, stroking his beard in thought.

Gandalf narrowed his eyes, and replied, somewhat reluctantly, "I suppose that would work."

"This will be an easy way to get him to marry, too. And then, I won't have to worry about Kili being in the line of succession for too much longer. I mean, I love the lad, but he's an idiot at times. Plus, an elf-lover." Thorin continued to speak, forgetting that Gandalf was still there.

Gandalf only looked the king with raised eyebrows, taking in the manic expression in Thorin's eyes and replied, "Good luck."

* * *

Even with Dis' enthusiasm, and Gandalf's wishes of good luck, no dams had managed to wake up Fili. When word began to spread that the possible future queen of Erebor would be determined by who could awaken Prince Fili, dwarrowdams (and some humans) flocked to the kingdom in order to try their luck.

Unfortunately, several months past, and nothing had managed to wake up Fili and turn him back into flesh.

Thorin looked mournfully in his cup of tea. He loved the lad. And he missed him. Partly because he was far more competent than his younger brother who was distracted by anything and everything.

Partly because he was a good lad who always managed to bring out the best in others.

Thorin was brooding (which he excelled at) when there was a knock at his study's door. He called for the guests to enter.

It was Dwalin and Bofur, of all people, and they were followed by Bifur and Nori.

"What do you want?" Thorin asked gruffyly, looking them over impatiently.

Dwalin helped himself to some ale while the rest of the dwarves settled in, making themselves at home.

Bofur cast around awkwardly, and then broke the silence, "So, how's it going?"

Thorin sent a majestic glare his way and Bofur tipped back his own flask, taking a long swig of his own alcoholic beverage. He always found Thorin's tastes to be too tame.

Nori leaned forward. "Lots of pretty dwarrowdams around the mountain. But none of them has managed to break the spell on Fili. What do you think is going on?"

"Mahal if I would know," Thorin grumbled. "The lad is just picky."

Bofur exchanged a glance with Dwalin and Bifur. Nori nodded encouragingly and Dwalin spoke.

"I don't think it's that Thorin. We've had an idea—what if the lad's already met his true love? Perhaps we should try to find her." Dwalin said. He couldn't believe his own words. He hardly believed in something like true love, but between Thorin's brooding and Dis' frantic outbursts regarding Fili's fate, he had enough.

Thorin looked at them and asked, "Where and when would Fili have had the time to find himself a lass?"

Dwalin looked uncomfortable. "Possibly when you sent him out on his own with just a few of us to scout out a route to Erebor?" He did his best to look innocent.

Thorin stiffened and he narrowed his eyes at Dwalin. "That was three years ago. And you were with him, Dwalin. As a chaperone, I believe." He looked around at the other three dwarves who refused to look at Thorin. "In fact, all of you went with Fili, I believe. What do you know? What happened?"

Bofur began to tell the story.

* * *

They were stopped at an inn for the night, just outside of the Iron Hills. It was crowded, with locals and with travelers. There were a few humans intermixed with them, but overall it was mostly dwarves. Fili and the rest of the group traveling with them, including Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur and Nori, were seated at a table, gambling in a game of cards and eating the tavern's supper when a strong wind blew through the inn suddenly.

A half dozen dwarves marched in, with hoods over their heads and cloaks that covered them from head to toe. One stood to the front, and gave orders in a low, quiet voice to the barkeep who only smiled at them in acknowledgment. They exchanged gold, and the half dozen dwarves retreated quickly up the stairs to their rooms. The room, which had fallen quiet at the loud entrance, once again picked up in volume until the barkeep claimed that they were closing early.

There was a loud groan, especially from the locals. Fili looked up from his pipe in surprise. Interesting that the bartender would have no problem throwing out the locals three hours early. He continued to play his game as the locals began to make their way out of the rooms. Several of the humans who were traveling left after, heading upstairs quietly to their rooms. It was only Fili's party and a few others that had remained when there were light footsteps on the stairs coming down.

It was the half dozen or so dwarves, who Fili was surprised to see, with all their cloaks off, appeared to be dwarrowdams. He heard Bofur whistle beside him as he watched the lasses descend and find a secluded table in the corner of the bar. The bartender brought them supper so they could eat.

"What do you think their doing here, without any dwarves to protect them?" Nori murmured, looking at the lasses with a smile on his face. One of them turned from the table and winked at Nori. Nori smiled right back at the lass. She had dark black hair and blue eyes. A pretty lass, and obviously one that found Nori quite attractive.

Fili didn't reply, but instead, just nursed his ale. The rest of his companions, however, were so disarmed by the appearance of lovely lasses that they lost their focus on the game. Eventually, Bofur, the friendliest of them all, went over to the table, and invited the lasses to come sit with them.

And so, that's how Fili found himself in a gambling game of cards with two dwarrowdams on each side of him.

His mother had told him that he was never to give any promises to a lass, and to never, ever engage in intercourse until he married, a sentiment that was echoed by Thorin. So, he just sat, trying to ignore the dams sitting to each side of him as they brushed across his elbow.

Eventually, Fili blushed as he noticed that members of his party (the traitors) began to pair off with the dams. The game had eventually ended, and he was by himself at the table, not wanting to go back to his room as it was in between Dwalin and Bofur's rooms and he had no idea if they would be with their dams in those rooms or the lasses. He didn't want to think about it anymore though, and he certainly didn't want to hear anything, so he decided that he was just going to stay the night in the bar.

He heard some footsteps on the stairs, and he looked up to see a dam smiling at him. She made a beeline for him immediately. He almost stood up to defend himself, when he noticed that she called to the bartender for something to drink.

She had bright blond hair, brighter and lighter than his own and beautiful gray eyes. Her eyelashes were long and dark and curled slightly. Her nose was a little longer than the average dam's but it didn't take away from her beauty. Instead, it just made her more interesting looking.

"Hello," she said, as she sat by him. "Freja, at your service. You must be with the company of dwarves that are spending some quality time with my dams."

He felt himself blush and he nodded. He paused and then said, quietly, "Fili, at your service. I apologize at their-"

"Don't. I'm sure it's my dams as much as them. We haven't been home for a while. They're like a bunch of rutting animals when they meet attractive dwarves."

Once again, Fili felt himself blushing. Damn it all—it was obvious that he was a virgin, wasn't it?

"Where do you hail from?" She asked curiously. Her smile was bright and pretty. He was surprised at the hard liquor that she was drinking as well.

"Ered Luin. We're traveling to visit with relatives in the Iron Hills." Fili replied, trying to keep to the story that Thorin had told him to tell.

She nodded at his answer. Her hair was down her back in a long braid. She had some tendrils of hair escaping from the plait.

"We're from Orocarni." He blinked at her answer. That was far away indeed. "We were just visiting with Lord Dain for some trade negotiations."

Fili nodded at her words and came to the conclusion that she was either an emissary or nobility.

"Which clan?" Fili asked curiously, looking her over. There were four clans out in the Red Mountains. They were more combative than the others, he had heard, but he didn't see anything too violent about this lass sitting next to him. He was still feeling slightly tense, but he could finally feel his muscles relax.

"Stonefoot." Fili nodded. He had heard that dwarrowdams had a more active part in politics and warfare in the Stonefoot clan, and looking at the lass sitting next to him, he could tell that she knew her way around weapons from her posture.

"And you must be a Longbeard," she said softly, looking him over shrewdly.

His eyebrows raised and he folded his arms over his chest, "What makes you say that?"

"You haven't once looked at my breasts while we've been talking. The Longbeards are more respectful of females in general, and I hear even let the dams take the lead in courtships the majority of the time."

He practically crossed his eyes in order to get them to not look at her chest now. She had such lovely breasts, from what he could tell. And blimey, she was forward.

She took a drink, and said, "So, what is Fili, nephew of Thorin, son of Thrain doing all the way over here?"

He blinked at her, and then looked at his drink, feeling his cheeks flood with color once again. He was so damn obtuse.

"It's alright," she said, looking around. "I've learned all the names of the important dwarves in each clan. And you're Thorin's heir. Explains why you're not upstairs with a pretty dam yourself. You're too responsible."

He nodded at her. "And you're the daughter of Lord Folin, the leader of the Stonefoot clan?"

"Aye, I am. Not an heir though. I have my older brother for that, thank Mahal." Freja commented with a wry grin.

He smiled at her words and said, "Being an heir is far more trouble and responsibilities. But, it's what's expected of me."

She leaned forward, and said, "Do you not want to lead the Longbeards?"

"No," he said hurriedly, "I'll do it. It's just...sometimes I just wish that I could be a simple blacksmith or a warrior in the army. That way I wouldn't have to give the orders."

She smiled at him and said, "The best leaders are those that don't want to be leaders. They are the ones that know how to serve their people."

He felt a warmth wash over him at her words, and found himself blushing. What a nice thing to say. She could have just called him a coward and told him to grow a pair. Now she just made him feel better about being nervous about his position.

"How old are you?" She asked him, taking another swig of her ale.

"79. You?" He answered her. She had to at least be in her majority, considering that she was out without a male escort or relative.

"76." She replied.

"And you're here on your own?" Well, she was older than Kili at least.

"Not on my own. Those dams I'm traveling with are my guard. My father wanted me to meet with Thorin Stonehelm during negotiations, to see if we would be a good match." She told him, once again trying to suppress the smile that crept up on to her face.

Fili practically choked on his ale. And then looked at her in amusement.

"And are you?" He asked, suddenly wanting to know the answer. If his cousin married this little spitfire dam, then he would be quite jealous.

"I think I'm a better match with a potato." She answered him dryly. "I'm afraid your cousin is...well I don't really know how to say it nicely."

He laughed, and said, "A potato, huh? Seems like you have a type."

She smiled and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you hanging out down here because you don't want to hear anything?"

"Aye. I'm drowning myself in drink to stop thinking about it as well." Fili quipped right back to her. He toasted her with his pint and she returned the toast. The two finished downing their drinks quickly. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, just like most dwarves and dwarrowdams.

She cracked a smile at him. Mahal, she was beautiful.

"I'm on the third floor. Away from them all. Are any of your company on that floor?" Freja ventured curiously.

He shook his head, and she said, gesturing to him and standing up, "Well, then. Come on. We can't stay down here all night. The bartender is giving us dirty looks."

He stammered slightly at her invitation. "I—I can't-"

She looked at him with her head cocked to the side and said, "Oh. You think—No. Don't worry about that. My virtue and yours, of course, will still be intact by tomorrow morning. I'm flattered, though," she teased, with that mocking grin on her face.

He stood up and followed her up the stairs. They came into her room, and he settled himself on a small arm chair and she sat on her bed.

"Well, this is more awkward than I thought," she informed him, before asking abruptly, "What weapon do you fight with?"

And just like that, they spent the next three hours talking. She spoke of the Red Mountains, the lakes, the food and her family. He spoke of his own family, hunting, his training, his uncle. They learned a lot about each other, and in that time, the moon began to descend and the sun began to rise. He watched as she sat in the windowsill, like a cat.

"Come here, Fili," she said, gesturing for him to join her at the window. She watched as he settled himself next to her. It was a beautiful view.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" She asked quietly. He watched as the sun rose, but his attention was focused solely on the lass sitting next to him.

"Aye, beautiful." He replied, his voice lower than usual. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt a sudden desire to kiss the lass, this dwarrowdam that he had just met.

He swallowed hard in his throat and tried not to think about what her lips would feel like on his. If he kissed her, it might lead to other things. And he couldn't risk them conceiving a child out of wedlock.

But he had a sudden thought. Perhaps he could wait a few years, and then speak to Thorin. He wouldn't have his own, true home until after Erebor was reclaimed anyway. It wouldn't do any good to make her promises when there was no guarantee that he would even return from their secret quest.

And, maybe he hadn't known this lass for long, but she was beautiful and strong and oh-so-lovely, not to mention that she came from a noble family. He doubted Thorin or his mother would protest a union.

She turned to look at him and saw him staring at her. Her lips curled into a smile and he leaned forward, kissing her lips fervently. He felt her hands move up to his cheeks, to settle on his beard that she rubbed quite gently and returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm.

He pulled away and felt his arms settle around her waist. They exchanged no more words after that, but only the occasional brush of a hand or a quick kiss on the lips. They watched the sun rise, and after, went downstairs for breakfast.

Neither of them had slept, but neither of them regretted their exhaustion. They shared a secretive smile as the rest of their companies made their way downstairs to join them for breakfast in the inn.

* * *

"We knew as soon as we left that morning that something had happened. At first I thought that I had failed as a chaperone." Dwalin said, coughing slightly. He had not regretted his time that night with the feisty little redhead in his bed three years ago in the least. He was only glad that at least Fili had managed to keep his head that night.

"He said they didn't engage in intercourse?" Thorin questioned, cringing slightly. It was one of those odd things. He needed to know if there was a bastard look alike of Fili's possibly running around but he didn't really want to think of his nephew in bed with anyone but himself. He shuddered slightly.

"That's what he said. Actually he didn't say much at all. He only said he spoke with her the entire night. Found out from one of the lasses that she's Lady Freja of the Stonefoot clan." Bofur replied to Thorin's query.

Thorin nodded and said, "You think we should write to her or her father and ask her to come and help Fili?"

"Why not?" Nori said, "Nothing else has managed to work."

Thorin harrumphed to himself, and then found himself agreeing with the plan. He nodded at them.

"Go. Keep in touch with us through the ravens." Thorin told him. "You and Bofur. I need Dwalin here. Bifur may also accompany you."

Nori and Bofur both nodded. "Warn her about Dis though. The lass will have to get past that dragon if she wants to try her hand at waking up Fili." Thorin warned the dwarves as they departed his study.

* * *

It took them close to three months to approach the Red Mountains in the far east of Arda. They were presented rather quickly to Lord Folin, who welcomed them warmly after hearing their titles. They were led to some guest chambers to rest and then were invited to dine with the family for evening supper.

When Nori, Bifur and Bofur arrived, they were enchanted by the settings and their company. Several of the younger nobledams winked at the dwarves when they entered the dining room.

Lady Freja entered the room, and smiled at the three dwarves, almost mischievously. She was on the arm of her younger brother, who was distracted as he escorted her to her place around the table.

Polite conversation started around the table. Finally, Lord Folin said, "I heard you were all members of Thorin Oakenshield's company."

"Aye, we were," Nori said softly.

"We have heard the tidings of the battle on the Lonely Mountain's plains. Tell me more about what happened." Lord Folin requested of the three dwarves.

And so, Bofur took over the conversation, being the best storyteller out of them all.

"King Thorin and his nephews survived then hmm?" He glanced over at Freja who tried to fake disinterest in Bofur's story, but failed miserably.

"Aye. The three of them took several injuries during the battle, but were stalwart in defeating their enemies and surviving. It took Fili a little more time to bounce back from his injury, but he had been tortured by the Defiler before being run through. Amazing he's alive at all, actually." Nori watched Freja. She looked slightly alarmed to hear about Fili's experience.

Folin only nodded and then inquired directly, "And what can I do for you dwarves?"

Nori, Bifur and Bofur exchanged a look.

"Thorin would like Fili to marry, and soon. We're just letting all the dwarrowdams know. He has refused any formal arrangement and Thorin believes it would be for the best if he married outside of the Longbeard clan." Nori informed Lord Folin. He did his best not to look at Lady Freja.

Folin looked interested and said, "Do you have a marriage contract?"

"No," Nori replied. "It is Fili's choice, after all. But we have an invitation. We're inviting all eligible dwarrowdams of age to meet Fili in Erebor. Your daughter is included in that invitation."

Folin glanced at his daughter, who was glaring at the two dwarrow with her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised. "What say you, Freja?"

"He sounds like a bore," she answered flippantly. She then narrowed her eyes and said, "Prince Fili couldn't have come himself?"

"No, I'm afraid that he's needed in Erebor at the moment." Bofur replied, feeling beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Hmm.." Freja said, before turning to her father. "Do I have your permission to take my guard and meet with this Prince Fili, adad?" Nori raised his eyebrows slightly. It appeared as though Freja did not inform her father of meeting Erebor's prince over three years ago and her guard hadn't told anyone either.

He nodded at her. "Send word if there's a match or a marriage contract. He might like you Freja, and perhaps he's more interesting than his cousin, Thorin Stonehelm."

"I doubt it," she snorted slightly. She then turned to the dwarves and bid them good night.

* * *

The next morning they departed back towards Erebor. Freja was on her guard. Six dwarrowdams were with her, including the three that had slept with Bifur, Bofur and Nori before. They had all giggled when they saw the dwarves. Bofur had toffed his hat for them as Nori winked at them. Freja rolled her eyes. They went on pony back immediately.

Freja was quiet until she said, "What's really going on? I've heard some…interesting rumors."

"Fili turned to stone," Bifur said in Khuzdul suddenly, choosing not to lie to the lass any more.

"Did he now?" Freja scowled slightly and then asked, "How'd he manage that?"

"Ancient magic and a spinning wheel." Bofur replied, watching Freja's reaction.

Freja looked at them in serious concern. "That is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. Does he even make clothing?"

"No. Found it in the treasury. Mahal knows why he touched the damn thing." Nori said to her, shrugging his shoulders.

Freja muttered under her breath, "Stupid idiot." She knew what she had to do though. Ever since she had met him three years previous, and spent that night with him, she admitted that she could not stop thinking about him.

She often wondered where he was or what he was doing. It was almost a year ago now that her father's emissary had returned with startling news from a conclave in Ered Luin held by King Thorin. He and his nephews, along with a wizard and company of dwarves, would make the trip to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their kingdom.

She knew immediately that Fili hadn't just been visiting his relatives when she met him at that tavern. After all, she had been with Dain and Thorin Stonehelm for a large majority of the time, attempting to work out a trade negotiation with the Iron Hills. Not once had she seen Fili.

She frowned at herself. She should have put it together before that. It was such a small party that he had traveled with, that she now knew that it was an unofficial trip. He and those dwarves were scouting out a route to the Lonely Mountain.

Still, she wanted to see if she could help him. She decided that she liked him, quite a deal and thoroughly enjoyed kissing him. And, after all, her father had already told her to find a dwarf to marry or he'll find one for her. The one that her father had begun to speak to her about was the younger son of the leader of the Blacklock clan and he was horrid.

She would much rather prefer Prince Fili than that Blacklock.

* * *

It was a quicker trip on the way back to Erebor. Their party had tripled in size, but Freja and her nobledams were capable of helping on the journey. They hunted, cooked, and fought alongside the dwarves quite well.

It only took them about two months to arrive in Erebor. And when Freja did, she was immediately led to King Thorin. Nori had sent a raven ahead a couple of days before and right before they turned into Dale, Nori received a raven in reply.

Freja was to see King Thorin and Lady Dis immediately upon arriving.

Freja sighed. The last thing that she wanted to do was see King Thorin and his sister, Fili's mother, who would no doubt cast a critical eye over her dirty hair and clothing.

There was nothing to do for it though, so when she arrived she was immediately led in to speak with his highness, the majestic Thorin, king under the mountain.

Freja approached the crown warily, more than aware of the state of her messy hair and no doubt, dirty face.

She kneeled before his throne, and bowed her head, saying, "Freja of the Stonefoot Clan, at your service, my Lord."

"Rise, Freja." She stood up and then curtsied to Dis, who was seated on the dais below the throne. There was another dwarf, with black hair, next to Lady Dis.

"Your trip was well?" Thorin asked suddenly, looking her over.

"As well as it could, your majesty."

Dis cleared her throat and then said, "Perhaps I can show you where your rooms are located before we speak some more." She glared openly at Thorin as she said it. Thorin only waved his hand away in irritation at his sister's words.

"Fine," Thorin said, annoyed at his sister.

"Thorin, the lass just got here after two months of traveling. I could tell from the moment that she came in here, all she wanted was some privacy and clean water." Dis shot back at Thorin.

Freja instantly felt a surge of gratitude to the princess.

"I suppose..." Thorin said.

"Please, Lady Dis. My guard that came with me as well..." Freja stepped forward to say to Dis, hoping that her guard would be treated respectfully as well.

"They're already being taken care of, Lady Freja," Thorin said to her. He looked her over once again with a calculating eye before saying. "I suppose my sister is correct. Join us for supper this evening."

Freja nodded, recognizing the dismissal. She followed behind Lady Dis, who was immediately leading her out of the throne room. She noticed that the young, black haired dwarf followed her as well, almost looking at her curiously.

Most of Erebor was still in ruins. She could tell from the state of the half-built throne room. However, since they had only reclaimed Erebor about eight months previously, she wasn't very surprised. Still, Lady Dis led her to a hallway with several doors.

"Kili or I will come and collect you for supper." Freja nodded, glancing swiftly over Kili. He didn't look like his brother at all. She instantly looked back at Dis after Kili nodded at her in greeting. He looked pale, and sad.

Dis continued to speak. "Your fellow dwarrowdams are in this hall as well. They will be dining with Lord Dwalin and some others. Don't fear, you are well protected here."

Freja thought to herself that she was protected against everything except a likely cave in. Did they not see the cracks in the stone all over the mountain? Instead she tried to give Lady Dis a winning smile. Dis nodded at her and Freja entered her quarters, throwing her traveling bag on the sofa. She had only come with one gown to wear. She didn't know that she was going to be dining with the royal family every night.

She had only come to wake up Fili, and shouldn't that have been a priority? Although, she was happy for the bath.

* * *

Freja tried to stop her eyes from rolling too much when she settled in to dine with the rest of the royal family. They sat at a long table, with Thorin on one end and Dis on the other, who both seemed to enjoy glaring at each other.

She was forced to make conversation with the younger heir and, surprisingly, a red-haired elf-maiden who only looked at her in amusement when she sat next to her.

"The weather held out while you traveled then?" Kili asked. Freja was positive that it was the same question that he had asked earlier. At first she thought the poor lad suffered from memory loss, but he kept glancing in between his mother and uncle. They were glaring daggers at each other.

At least he was trying to be a proper host. Freja took pity on him.

"Yes. The weather held out just fine. Thank you for asking, Prince Kili." Freja replied, smiling at him warmly. He beamed back at her, obviously feeling grateful that she was playing along.

"What weapon do you favor, Lady Freja?" Tauriel asked suddenly. Freja picked up her goblet and swirled the contents (wine) around. The goblet was far too opulent for her liking, but if the Longbeards wanted to drink glorified grape juice out of bar of gold, who was she to argue with them?

"I use a billhook," Freja said, "Although I've been taught that anything could be a weapon." Thorin and Dis had stopped talking and Thorin was nodding his head at her in approval. Perhaps the two siblings had managed to resolve their glaring contest.

"Tell me, Lady Freja, when did you first meet Fili?" Thorin asked quietly, almost glaring at the lass from across the table.

Freja blinked and said, "Is that why you sent those dwarves to find me?"

Thorin nodded.

"I had just left the Iron Hills almost 3 ½ years ago, negotiating a trade agreement with Lord Dain and meeting his son." Freja replied to Thorin and Dis.

"Oh. Do you have an—ah—agreement- with young Thorin?" Dis asked, hesitating slightly.

"No. I do not have an agreement with any dwarf. That is the reason why I came." Freja said, almost talking to the two heads of the table as if they were slow dwarflings.

"Did Bofur or Nori tell you the agreement?" Dis inquired, watching her face.

Freja took a sip of wine, shaking her head, before asking, "What agreement?"

"Whatever dwarrowdam or female can awaken Fili from his sleep will be his queen."

Freja only laughed.

Dis bristled. "Do you think it funny that my son is turned to stone, Lady Freja?"

"I think he's an idiot for managing it, actually. And I think he'll be quite angry that you made that deal without his consent." Freja answered honestly.

"Well, we have to do something," Thorin told her, sighing.

Freja had just finished her food and finally asked, "Why do you think I'm here? If you believe I can awaken Prince Fili from his current state, then I will gladly do it. And, I don't have to be his wife after."

Dis and Thorin pursed their lips at her words. Kili only smiled at her gently.

"You're just like he said you were. He's still mad about you, you know? He wouldn't stop talking about you when he returned."

Freja felt herself blushing at Prince Kili's words.

Dis looked shocked and Thorin blared, "You knew about her the entire time we were bringing in all those dwarrowdams!? Why didn't you say something?"

Kili flinched and Tauriel glared at Thorin, who, to Freja's surprise, instantly straightened as if afraid of the elleth's words or actions.

"Come," Dis said softly. "I will take you to Fili."

And so, Dis led Freja to Thorin's office where Fili's statue stood. Freja found herself staring at the face that had been haunting her for over three years now. It was a light gray, solid stone statue.

Huh. At first she thought they were just using a metaphor.

But, here he was, LITERALLY stone. She took her knuckles to his head and rapped them against his forehead. She heard a hollow sound.

She murmured to herself, "He really is brainless." She sighed and looked at him, remembering that his hair shouldn't be such a gray color, but that beautiful gold that she loved, and his eyes, should be full of warmth and a shy curiosity, not they're current blankness.

She put a hand on his cheek and then, all of a sudden, felt herself blushing. Behind her were the elf, the prince, the king and the mother. They all looked at her eagerly.

"Well, try it out lass." Thorin growled at her and she stifled a sound of annoyance. How embarrassing, to be seen kissing a statue made of stone. She leaned forward, and pressed her lips against the stone's.

And then, she promptly fell back, unconscious on the ground beneath her.

Thorin and the others exchanged looks of surprise.

Well, that certainly hadn't happened before. Perhaps there was hope after all.

* * *

Freja felt herself awaken to a cold, clammy feeling. Her head pounded and she opened her eyes reluctantly. She forced her eyes open and blinked them against the bright light filtering through the cold, stormy sky. She felt herself shiver and she looked around.

She was sitting at the base of a mountain. The River Running was practically frozen over in the cold, and snow was falling down.

She frowned at herself. Strange, it really shouldn't have been so cold out, considering that she had arrived in Erebor during the hottest part of the summer. She stood up with some hesitation as she looked around the plains surrounding her.

She looked at the front gates of the Lonely Mountain, and found herself shocked at what she saw. There were three dwarves waiting for her, as if they were expecting her to enter into the gate.

"Nori, what's going on?" She asked, walking up the dwarves.

Nori was dressed all in colors of dark red and maroon. Bofur wore hues of green. And Bifur wore navy blue. They all looked at her expectantly.

For some reason, it was if she knew exactly what they were waiting for. They were waiting for her to speak. She remembered vaguely the whole reason she had come to Erebor in the first place: to awaken Fili from stone.

So, what in the world was going on?

"Where's Fili?" She asked suddenly, looking between the three dwarves.

"He's inside the mountain. The Dragon must be defeated before you can awaken him." Bofur said, inclining his head toward the mountain. She felt a shiver of fear run through her.

They were speaking of Smaug. She was sure of it.

She nodded and looked down at her dress. It was her evening gown from supper. Blast the whole thing, she thought to herself. She couldn't have even been wearing proper armor or apparel in this dreams of hers.

"Alright." She replied. She rolled her shoulders back and straightened her spine before walking up to the three dwarves.

"What must I do?" She inquired to them, looking between the three.

"Defeat the dragon." Bifur replied to her in Khuzdul. She nodded in understanding.

"Yes. I get that. Any advice though?" She asked them, her eyebrows raised.

The three all shrugged their shoulders. "Oh. There's a loose scale on his belly. Start there."

She held her arms open. "I have nothing to defeat the dragon with. Any help coming from there? Are you supposed to be my guides?"

The three once again looked at each other. "Look, princess. We don't know why we're even here."

"Where am I?"

They looked at each other troubled and Nori shrugged, before saying, "Who knows?"

Freja put a hand on her forehead. She was starting to get a headache. Mahal, she was going to kill someone, not just a dragon either.

"Here," Bofur said hastily, handing her a mining pick. He must have sensed his own impending doom by the way he cowered in front of her.

She looked at him and asked, "What's this?"

"Uh," Bofur stopped what he was saying and put a hand on his chin before replying, "It's the mining pick of metamorphosis. It can change in to whatever weapon you wish it to be...ah, yes. That sounds right."

She closed her eyes, thinking of her trusty billhook and watched as it transformed. She smiled slightly before inclining her head, saying, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Wake him up, Princess." And in a puff of smoke, he was gone.

"Dammit, now we have to give you something," Nori complained aloud. She arched an eyebrow at his words, and then all of a sudden, Bifur was in front of her.

He said to her in Khuzdul, "I give you the gift of song. Your voice will cause those who need to awaken, to awake; and those that need to rest, to sleep, for the remainder of your days."

She opened her mouth to thank him, but before she could speak he was suddenly gone in another puff of smoke. She huffed, feeling slightly annoyed.

Nori looked at her in interest and then said, "I don't know how well Bifur's gift will work. So, my gift will be some advice." He looked at her and said, "Now don't take offense, my lady, but if you want to keep a dwarf's attention and really wake him up, you have to stroke his ego and...other things..."

It took a few long seconds for it to sink in, and she felt outraged at his words. That horridly crude—she aimed for him with her billhook, but then, suddenly, he was gone, a shit-eating grin on his face.

She closed her eyes against the pain of a headache and murmured to herself, "Finally. Alone at last."

She entered into the mountain.

It didn't take her long to find the dragon. Dragons were attracted to treasure and all treasure hoards were guarded in the center of the mountain, safe from prying eyes and wandering hands.

She rounded a corner and was suddenly surprised to hear a loud voice yelling, "I will not let you escape, Smaug! You will not defeat me! AHHH!"

No doubt, that last part wasn't meant to be heard. She turned around a large pillar, and to her immense surprise and annoyance, found Prince Fili running head-long into her, while wearing only half his clothes. Her face felt warm. He wore trousers, thankfully, but he wore nothing above his waist. She felt herself swallow and she gazed upon his glorious frame. A chiseled abdomen, broad chest and toned arms met her view. His chest hair was sweaty and plastered to his body, while there was a line of dark blond hair that traveled from his navel down into his trousers. She felt herself swallow once again.

What in Mahal's name was going on? Wasn't he supposed to be asleep? And why was he practically naked? She felt herself grow unreasonably angry.

She noticed the scars, including an especially ugly one that cut across his chest. There also appeared to be burn marks all over him. He was running still, and was about to run straight in to her, when his eyes suddenly met hers and he stopped abruptly.

He cocked his head to the side and said, "Freja?"

At the next moment, a loud roar and flames shot from the middle of the throne room, on top of the large piles of gold. He looked frightened, and then, to her surprise, ran toward her, grabbing her hand and dragging her through the gold.

They stopped behind another large pillar. He had her back against the stone, with his arms above her shoulders. He was standing too close to her. She gulped and said, "What's going on? The dragon?"

Fili's eyes finally focused on her. "What are you doing here?"

She said, "I thought Smaug was defeated."

"Of course he wasn't. I have to stop him from leaving the mountain at all costs, otherwise he'll kill everyone."

She looked at him in interest. She had heard from Bofur and the others that most of the dwarves had felt immense guilt at what they had unleashed on Lake-Town. Perhaps Fili felt that guilt as well.

She quite lamely said, "I'm here to awaken you."

His eyebrows furrowed before he said, "But, I'm awake."

She shook her head. "No. You're not. This is just a spell...or something. Do you remember touching a spindle?"

He looked at her swiftly and shook his head.

"Why would I touch a spinning wheel?" He asked, sounding honestly confused.

She heard herself sigh. This must be part of the enchantment. He was stuck in this never-ending cycle of running away from a dragon that was already dead.

"Listen," she said, touching his chest. She immediately pulled it back when she remembered that he was naked on his upper half. "This is just a dream. It's not reality."

He looked at her surprised, and to her shock, slightly saddened. "I suppose that's why you're here then. Just another dream..."

She felt herself blush.

Perhaps Prince Kili had not been exaggerating when he said that Fili never stopped talking about her. This was getting more complicated by the minute.

She touched his face gently and she felt him press his cheek into her hand. "I can't explain it, Fili. But, I came here to help you. Let me help."

Fili sighed and said, "I don't know how to defeat the dragon." She looked at him and remembered what Nori said.

"There's a scale missing on his belly, his underside. We have to find that, and if we stab him, then he'll die. Then, I'm sure you'll awaken."

Fili nodded and said, "How do you suppose we get close enough to stab him? He does like to blow fire at dwarves, you know."

She sighed once again and said, "I-" Then she remembered the gift from Bifur. It was totally impractical, but perhaps it would work.

"Leave that to me." And then, the two formulated a plan of attack.

* * *

Freja began to sing after a few minutes, and Fili watched her in awe, almost forgetting his part in the plan. It was his dragon that he needed to defeat, after all, so he held the former mining pick of Bofur's and it had become a long, broadsword. He nodded as he checked the balance in his hand.

Freja had a halfway pretty singing voice normally, so she wasn't surprised when the voice that came out of her mouth sounded unearthly. It was sweet, high and pure. There were no flaws to her pitch as she sang of the creation of the dwarves. As she walked toward the dragon, where Fili had pointed it to her, she hesitantly continued to sing.

Fili watched her warily, not wandering too far from her side lest the evil dragon awaken. She had heard a couple of snorts, and then some flames. Then, as they ascended the large pile of gold, she had heard the sound of the dragon walking in a circle. When he finally flopped down onto the gold, she and Fili were both pushed back several feet by the gold that was discomposed by Smaug.

She continued to sing, and as they passed a large pile of sapphires and rubies, she turned and suddenly saw the fire drake, Smaug. He was large and reptilian, and nasty. Very, nasty. He smelled awful, like burning fecal matter and she had to keep singing through her gagging as they approached. Fili looked at her warily but they continued forward together.

Really, Smaug had made it too easy. He was sleeping on his back. And, there, on his belly, was a missing scale-the supposed weak spot. She continued her singing, as Fili made her stop walking. He didn't want her to come any closer. He approached carefully and she closed her eyes, singing still. She didn't want to stop, and she didn't want to watch. She wasn't going to let him get burned alive as long as she could help it. She heard a thwacking, stabbing noise and then a loud roar of pain. The ground, the coins and gems underneath her trembled and then, all of a sudden, Fili pushed her out of the way, shielding her body with his.

He blocked the debris that flew all around them. She heard him grunting in pain as he held her tightly against the ground, the bloodied sword flown to the side. And then, there was just silence. Fili gingerly stood up, helping Freja as well. The skin of his back was full of dark red and purple welts.

He looked at her and said, "You have a beautiful voice."

She felt herself blush. "Only because it was one of my gifts."

He replied, "Who gave you that one?"

"Bifur." She replied, and the continued, "I actually quite like him."

"Figures. He's always been a sucker for dams that can sing."

She smiled and said, "I closed my eyes. What happened?"

"I stabbed him, and he gave one last trembling roar. The ground quaked and then," Fili gazed at her lovingly, "he was gone."

She bit her lower lip feeling quite concerned. "Then why are we not awake yet?"

He glanced at her and sighed, "I thought you would know why."

"I don't know anything. I was just told to kiss you and then wake you up by defeating the dragon. The dragon is gone. So, why are you still here?"

Fili shrugged his shoulders, not knowing the answer to give him as he was lost himself.

"Let's get some sleep," Fili said, "I'm feeling tired." He held her hand as he led her out of the throne room.

They had found an abandoned room with three beds in it rather quickly. It was dirty, but the beds looked to be in decent shape still. She watched him warily as he settled himself into a bed and fell asleep quickly.

She was feeling hungry and although her headache was gone, she still felt like something was nagging her at the back of her mind.

Why were they still in this reality? She had done what she was supposed to, hadn't she?

She thought back to what Bofur, Bifur and Nori told her. She then sat up, gasping. Oh, Mahal. Nori had already dropped the hint on what would wake him up. She watched him sleeping, his back to her. He had protected her with his body in the throne room. That must mean something—that he liked her a good deal, right? And she couldn't deny that she was more than attracted to him.

And she did want to help him, didn't she? Was there any other way to awaken him?

She decided to sleep on it.

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, she found herself in a completely different room than before. It was large and clean. There was a floral scent that smelled vaguely familiar. There was nobody else with her. She stood up and began to walk out of the room when she spied her reflection in a mirror.

She gave a short gasp. Based on her scent, the ivory and gold of her gown, and the way her hair was braided and done, half up and half down with jewels flowing all in it, she could only conclude that she had just married or was getting married.

She left the room, wondering if this was a dream, then where were all of her attendants and her mother. She sighed and walked through the wreckage of the mountain.

She eventually found Fili, who was staring at his own clothing in surprise, back in the room that they had initially slept in the night before.

He turned to speak with her when she called for him, but stopped, his mouth wide open as he took in her appearance. She felt herself shift and she awkwardly covered her arms with her chest.

Yes. It appeared that the Nori phantom was correct.

She asked, breaking the silence. "Did you wake up somewhere else?"

Fili stared at her, taking in everything about her and said, "Aye. I was wondering where you were." He murmured under his breath quietly. He coughed and said, "Why are we dressed to get married?"

She shrugged her shoulders, to try and play it off. She cleared her throat to speak. All of a sudden, Fili was there, with his hands on her shoulders.

"What is it, Freja?"

"Something that Nori. Or the Phantom Nori, told me. About the way to "awaken" you. He said that you needed to be awake, but you were already awake in here. So he must be referring to the real world."

She then looked at him straight in the eyes and said, "We need to have sex."

His eyes blinked and he scowled slightly. "Not that isn't an interesting proposition, Freja. But, I can't just go around and sleep with anyone…"

"Am I just anyone?" She was still as she looked at him, feeling as if she was waiting on a cliff for his answer. If he answered in the positive, then she knew that she would just go back to the Red Mountains. After seeing him again, even in this half-reality or dreamscape, she knew that she loved him. She had fallen in love with him from the moment she saw him.

Her eyes were cast downward. She felt a shiver run through her as he put a hand on her chin and tipped it up.

"No. You're not just anyone. You are the only one, Freja. I only wish that we were married."

"This isn't real, Fili." She insisted to him, nodding her head.

"Then why does it feel real?" Fili asked, staring at her. He was beginning to trace the lines of her face with his fingers, gently touching the strands of her hair. He gazed at her so lovingly.

She nibbled on her bottom lip. "It's part of the enchantment. You have to trust me." She took his hand and said, "Trust me. And forgive me if I'm wrong. I'm afraid that this is all new to me as well."

He nodded and said, "Okay." He felt numb. He had never engaged in intercourse before. He knew what was supposed to happen, but it wasn't as if he had been given specific advice of things to do by his uncle when he had been instructed by Thorin when he was hitting puberty.

He let her take his hand as they walked back to the wedding chamber that Freja had awoken in. He couldn't keep his eyes off of how beautiful she was, wearing the traditional gown, and with her hair half down. The blond strands caught off of the light cast from the gold and stone surrounding them. He felt himself smile at his beautiful bride.

They were not married. But, if she managed to wake him, he would make her his bride, if it was the last thing that he did.

They entered their bed chamber at last, and Freja got to work on her dress. It was several layers, and she was beginning to feel the heat. She began peeling off the layers, and then she felt Fili behind her, helping her with her dress. His hands skimmed her back and she gave a soft sigh, pushing her head back against his shoulder.

He smiled at her, very gently and then moved his hands to the laces of her corset, loosening them. Immediately her breathing eased and she turned around, tossing the corset into the corner of the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, sighing softly and humming as he returned her kiss. His tongue licked her lips, begging for her to deepen the kiss. She accepted his offer, and the two of them fervently began kissing more. She felt heat rise in every part of her. Her hands untucked his tunic, and she pushed her hands under his shirt, feeling the skin of his abdomen and chest on her fingers.

She smiled as she felt his groan at her touch he pulled away from her mouth and began to kiss other parts of her. His lips traveled down her neck, and onto her collarbone, where he licked and nibbled before making their way to her ear.

She pulled back suddenly, insisting on tugging off his shirt. He allowed her to pull it off his body and threw it in another part of the room. He groaned as he looked at her. His eyes were filled with desire. "I've always loved you, since we first met. And if we have the chance to get out of here, I promise to marry you."

She smiled at him, tugging on the marriage braid on his temple. She looked forward to claiming him in reality. She leaned toward him and he continued to kiss and touch her everywhere. She was aware of her breaths becoming shorter, of the noises of pleasure mounting, and when they finally made love, she was only aware of Fili.

* * *

She awoke suddenly, feeling her face immediately light up. What in Mahal's name was that dream supposed to mean?

It was just a dream, wasn't it?

She sat up in bed, and thankfully, didn't feel any soreness between her legs. She gave a breath of relief—her virtue was still intact.

But it had felt so real. She had given herself, wholly and without any commitment to Fili. Only because she knew that it was the only way to awaken him, of course. She pushed herself to the back of the bed where she was asleep, sitting up.

It was a few minutes later, that her guard entered, arguing with each other.

She heard snippets of the conversation.

"Been asleep for weeks."

"Sent for Lord Folin."

"There will be war for this."

"Would someone like to tell me what's going on?" Freja asked suddenly, staring between the members of her guard.

"My Lady!" They all shrieked, surrounding her with hugs and smiles.

"What do you mean that there will be war?" Freja said and then turned stern. "Tell me everything."

She had been asleep for three weeks, falling over when she had kissed Fili's stone figure and becoming almost as inanimate as Fili himself. Her guard had been beside themselves with worry. One of them had finally called for Lord Folin, and sent a missive to him about the situation. Freja was deeply loved by her father, and if harm came to her in Erebor, then there would be war.

Fili, they informed her, had awoken three days earlier, demanding to know what had happened to Freja. Apparently, he had told his uncle, mothers and others, that he had been stuck in his mind. And Freja had saved him.

He had immediately implored to Thorin to write to Lord Folin. He told Thorin to inform the lord of the StoneFoot Clan that there would be a marriage contract extended to Freja immediately. However, she hadn't awoken.

Fili was still getting used to everything around him once again. Her guards told her that he visited her every single day, taking her hand in his own. He didn't say much, they said, but he just asked her to wake up.

She smiled at their words. She had done what she had set out to do. She helped Fili; she managed to wake him up. And now, Fili wanted to marry her.

She would say yes, of course.

She heard a door open in her quarters and one of the guards, the one closest to the door instantly relaxed.

She practically squealed, looking at Freja with a bright expression on her face, "It's him."

Freja felt herself blushing. The last memory of him that she had in that plane of existence, they had been engaged in a very pleasing session of intercourse, the first time for both of them. The first time hadn't stopped it from being the most singular experience of her entire life up to that moment.

And to think that it really hadn't happened!

He stepped inside, greeting the guards. The traitors giggled at his handsome face and manners.

His face instantly brightened as it locked on to hers, seeing her awake. His gaze lingered on her face, as if he was seeing right through her.

She beamed back at him and he gave her a shy smile, his cheeks blushed slightly as he looked away.

So, he did remember what they did, just like she could recall every detail. She didn't regret it though. It had done the trick.

She excused her guards suddenly, asking them to write to her father and mother and to make plans to stay in Erebor for a while still, at least while she recovered. Fili settled himself into the arm chair by her bed as her guards sent her furtive, curious glances when they left. A few even dared to wink and make kissing faces at her.

He took her hand in his and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"I'm so glad you're awake. You gave me quite a scare when you weren't awake yet." Fili told her. She loved the sound of his voice. There was something deep and melodious about his voice. Whenever he spoke, she immediately relaxed and felt at home.

"You must have worn me out," she said slyly, watching the flush on his cheeks darken. He sighed and then, boldly took her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. She breathed in deeply and sunk in to his kiss.

She smiled against him and said "That's even better, now that it's real."

"Aye," his voice replied barely a whisper. He then whined to her like a young dwarfling denied a dessert before supper, "How am I going to resist touching you until we marry?"

She smiled at him boldly and said, "It shall be a challenge, my lord prince. However, I believe that we can make it worth the wait."

She pulled him close to her and kissed him once again in return.

And they lived happily ever after, until the end of their days.

* * *

Author's Note: This is a one-shot, that was just for fun while I've been sitting on my story ideas for An Invisible Touch and another Fili/OC multi-chapter that I am in the process of writing. I hope you enjoyed it!


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